1st Year of College: 5 Lessons I’ve Learnt

1st Year of College: 5 Lessons I’ve Learnt

Today is August 1st which means that summer is at its best. I am currently in the mountains and even though I spent here almost the whole month of July I don’t feel like coming back to the city any time soon. I am finding & using Nature’s ability to heal more than ever. My mind is finally at peace for at least a second.

As you may already know I have finished my first year at the university in Prague, which is across the country, on the opposite side. Despite the Czech Republic is not that huge and the travelling takes “only” 3 and half hours by train, still, it is quite far away when you think about it. Especially, when your parents, family and friends all remain in your hometown. I know that it seems to be nothing really special, students do this all the time, right? But for me it was a big step. Big move forward, wherever I was aiming.

Studying by yourself in the capital city has obviously its pros and contras and it has taught me many lessons. Here are the 5 lessons that I’ve learnt from the first year of my studies so far:

no.1: WHAT YOU WON’T MAKE HAPPEN YOURSELF WON’T HAPPEN AT ALL

The first one and already the most important one. Sorry for being so harsh since the very start but you have to understand this, the sooner the better. This was probably the first lesson I have learnt and the school hadn’t even started yet. This was the lesson I have been given the week I had my first classes and lectures.

You have to rely 100% on yourself.

Nobody will help you, because nobody cares. Primary school and high school are places where everyone around you makes sure you have everything you need to have at the time you have to have it. At the university this interest is gone. Like it never existed, suddenly it is only you standing in the hallway with all the students and professors around you realizing that you have to solve all the problems by yourself because they all have their own to sort out.

Nevertheless, the truth is that it certainly gets better with a little bit of time passing. I mean, the professors and officials still won’t probably be very keen on trying to fugure out your issues unless it is their responsibility and duty, however, you will make frinds who become your closest allies because they have to deal with the same stuff as you. And ever since then you will never be alone 🙂

no.2: IT IS ALWAYS BETTER IN TWO

The 2nd lesson goes hand in hand with the first one. The beginnings are always hard no matter where you are or what you are starting with. New place, new people, new responsibilities…new you. The truth is that however brave I may sound or seem the fact is that I didn’t have to deal with all the obstacles on my own. I mean there are things that only my person could make happen for sure, but I was and still am very lucky to have a great partner in crime since the very start and that the burden was most of the time not only on my shoulders.

First of all I am where am I only because I have a friend who shared my enthusiasm for the idea. We got this crazy idea together and made it happen together. Remember talking about the allied friends who are going to help you with the school duties you have to handle? Well, living in a bigger city (or any city actually) away from home means obligations that smell like adulthood from miles away and it primarily has nothing to do with school. And sometimes it gets intense and simply too much. I am trying to figure out one obligation/problem at this point (yes, even though it’s summer holidays, ik!!!) and am incredibly grateful that I don’t have to do this on my own.

So the lesson of this point? Everything is always better in two!

I know that it is good to live on your own and be only and entirely by yourself. However, life is gonna teach you whether you’re having a support by your side or not, trust me.

no.3: APPRECIATION OF YOUR HOME, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Alright, this one surprised me the most. What?! You may be wondering. How could being appreciative of your home and loved ones could have surprised you at all?! What kind of person are you!

I know I know, it sounds weird and horrible, but stop judging and let me explain this misunderstanding of my words.

As strange and selfish as it sounds I have decided to half-move to a different city across the country so that I could allow myself to breathe and let myself grow. By myself. On my own. I needed space. I think that we all feel that way at several points of our lives, however, when it feels unbearable anymore you must take action. I was fighting and arguing with my mum a lot (she is the biggest angel of mine and I love her more than anything though!! But we all know how it may be sometimes.) and knew that it would help us all. I was fed up with my city where I was born. I felt like I simply had to get out.

My determination to distance myself from all what I have known and everything that was nothing new to me anymore was so strong that I never actually thought that I would be homesick. Not that much. Nevertheless, it was the opposite. I started to appreaciate the people in my life who have been there since the day no.1 more than ever. And not only that. If you know me personally and you’re very close to me you also know how firmly I feel about exploring the world and living abroad as soon as possible. English plays a HUGE part in my life and own an enourmous one in my heart. I have always felt like my hometown and country was too small for my mindset and visions. This sounds very selfish too, but you know sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish in order to attain what you set your mind to and know is the right thing for you.

However, ever since I moved out of the city where I was born and spent my entire life in, I tend to come back on whole another level. I have soon realized how precious it is to have a home like that and how foolish I was trying to cut it off from my life completely. I started to be very patriotic and proud of where I was born. And that is how it is supposed to be. That was the moment I have come to conclusion that no matter how far I move in my life, no matter where my path will lead (and I know it is going to be very far away) I will still be forever grateful and proud of where I come from and will always keep coming back.

no.4: LIFE TUTOR LIKE NOTHING ELSE

Not being at home 24/7 and not having your mum by your side all the time watching out for you was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. She still helps me a lot without any doubt. However, there were finally situations that only I could solve and nobody else. I got what I was lacking the most and that is me stepping out of my comfort zone.

Life is the best teacher, for sure. Every time I made a mistake I told myself, okay you’ve done this wrong, it’s your fault, learn and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

You do things you never thought you would have ever done. You deal with people of personalities you never thought existed. It is only you that can make it happen. Nobody else.

I am talking about the scariest feeling. But you know what? It is the best feeling in the world at same time.

no.5: DON’T STRESS, DO YOUR BEST.

And finally my last but definitely not least lesson and advice is:

don’t stress, do your best.

I would not put it better way than my notebook says it. I was looking for a calendar notebook for a very long time because I am simply picky and couldn’t find the one that would suit 100% perfectly. Then I found this one and let me tell you, it is the best one I have ever had! Not only that it is as spacious as I need it to be, but also the reminder on the cover?! This one suits me more then anything, as I am the biggest stresswoman on this planet, hahhah. I am trying to get better though and see improvements but this little note that I carried around all the time helped me a lot, not gonna lie.

It seriously is much better, healthier and more beneficiary if you keep your mind and brain calm in some difficult situations. Whatever it is. An exam, issue… If you remind yourself that there are much more important things at the end of the day and it will all work out somehow, it will be much easier for you to complete the task because you won’t feel such a pressure.

Just make sure you do the best you can.

***

So here it is, my observations and notes. It seems all hard and difficult and not worth putting yourself through all that. Let me tell you, despite whatever, it still is and always will be the best thing I have ever decided to do in my life.

Hopefully it will help to some of you for whom this adventure is about to happen, and some of you who already know what it is like may relate. Both of ways I hope you enjoyed today’s SM Wednesday post and feel free to let me know in the comments or on any social media about your thoughts or experience. I can’t wait to read all of them! 🙂